CAPTION: Hutchinson Community College quarterback Samara Collier, the 2023 KJCCC Co-Offensive Player of the Year, returns for his sophomore season as the Blue Dragons’ signal-caller. CREDIT JOHN MESH
By John Mesh
The Hutchinson Community College Blue Dragon football team opens the 2024 season at home against New Mexico Military Institute Thursday night at Gowans Stadium.
The Blue Dragons stayed at No. 3 in the first regular-season NJCAA Division I poll released on Monday with 131 points.
NMMI was listed in the NJCAA preseason poll as “others receiving votes,” but did not receive votes in the first regular-season poll.
Iowa Western is still ranked No. 1 with all 12 first-place votes, followed by defending NJCAA champion East Mississippi State at No. 2. Kilgore College. Snow College and Trinity Valley, all 1-0, are ranked fourth, fifth and sixth.
Northwest Mississippi Community College (0-0), Iowa Central (1-0), Garden City (0-0) and Mississippi Gulf Coast (0-0) round out the top 10.
Nos. 11-15 are Georgia Military College (1-0), Copiah-Lincoln (0-0), Navarro College (0-0), Jones College (0-0) and Butler Community College (0-0).
Receiving votes were Dodge City, Lackawanna College (Pa.), Tyler (Texas) and Highland (Kan.).
The 2024 Blue Dragons return nine overall starters and 18 overall letter winners back from last year’s team.
Offensively, 2023 KJCCC Co-Offensive Player of the Year, quarterback Samari Collier returns after racking up 1,851 total yards and 20 total touchdowns last season.
Offensive lineman Ashton Jackson and tight end/H-back Jared Napoli are the other returning offensive starters.
Defensive back Demonte Gaston leads five starters back from a defense that led the KJCCC in scoring, total and rushing defense.
The Blue Dragons return place-kicker Nestus Burger, who broke a school record last year with a 50-yard field goal on his very first field goal attempt.
‘Blue Dragon Students Night Out’
The theme for Thursday night’s home game is “Blue Dragon Students Night Out.”
Blue Dragon students are invited to pack Gowans Stadium and have a night out together as part of welcoming students to campus. Activities for students will be announced closer to game day.
HutchCC-NMMI game will be televised on ESPN+
The Hutchinson Community College football team’s 2024 season opener against New Mexico Military will be a nationally televised match-up.
The Blue Dragons-Broncos game will be the first of five NJCAA nationally-televised games on ESPN+ this season.
This will be the fifth time that the Blue Dragons will appear on an ESPN network, the first time during a regular-season game.
Hutchinson’s first appearance on ESPN was in the 2020/21 NJCAA National championship game, a 29-27 win over Snow College on June 5, 2021, in Little Rock, Ark.
The Blue Dragons appeared twice in 2023, winning a national semifinal game vs. Coffeyville at Gowans Stadium on ESPN+ and falling in the national championship game to Iowa Western on ESPNU.
Last season, the Blue Dragons played host to East Mississippi in the 2023 NJCAA national semifinals on ESPN+. East Mississippi won the game 27-23.
The 2024 NJCAA Division I championship game will be played Dec. 18 at West Texas A&M University’s Brian-Schaeffer Buffalo Stadium in Canyon, Texas.
HutchCC 2024 Football Schedule
• Jayhawk Conference games
Aug. 29 New Mexico Military Institute, 6 p.m.
Sept. 7 at Iowa Western CC, 1 p.m.
Sept. 14 Iowa Central CC, noon
Sept. 28 Ellsworth CC, noon.
Oct. 5 Dodge City CC, noon *
Oct. 12 at Independence CC, 1 p.m. *
Oct. 19 at Coffeyville CC, 1 p.m. *
Oct. 26 Butler CC, noon *
Nov. 9 Highland CC, noon *
Nov. 15 at Garden City CC, 11 a.m. *